New Light and Dark Roasts from Caribou Coffee

Starbucks isn't the only one going blonde these days: Caribou Coffee is jumping on that train, too, with their new Starlight roast, their lightest roast ever. At the same time, Caribou doesn't want to abandon those who prefer a boldly roasted cup, so they've also released their darkest roast yet, called the Eclipse.

We got a sample of both and put them to the French press test.

[Photo: Jessica Leibowitz]

The Starlight is mouthfillingly grainy and a little nutty, with a bright top note that might be a little too lemony and citric for some folks. This coffee is definitely more tangy than chocolatey, though we're not sure we'd describe it as tasting like the "ripe berries" Caribou describes. We have a feeling that coffee connoisseurs seeking out fancy Nordic-style light roasts aren't buying their coffee from Caribou, but this will likely be pleasing to those who are tired of heavily roasted beans that taste more like roast than like coffee.

The dark-roast Eclipse is visibly oily and has a robust roasty aroma. Most of our tasters found it over-roasted for their taste: all char and no other flavors. It's rich, full bodied coffee, but it seems to hide anything that might be going on behind the darkness.